Denver Broncos / NFL

Broncos backup QB Brock Osweiler stars in preseason rout of 49ers

Quarterback Brock Osweiler of the Denver Broncos celebrates during a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on August 17, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images )

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Osweiler is no longer just playing quarterback between the 20s.

For the first time in his three years as Peyton Manning's understudy, Osweiler is finishing drives.

"I think one of the hardest things in the NFL is scoring points in the low red area," Osweiler said Sunday night from the squeaky-clean bowels of freshly opened Levi's Stadium after helping his Broncos destroy the San Francisco 49ers 34-0. "That's one thing we spend a lot of time on in practice. Obviously, now I've had two years of getting reps of that in practice, so now we're starting to see things translate to games."

In his first two preseasons of 2012 and 2013 covering eight games, Osweiler engineered only four touchdown drives. Two each year. He threw just one touchdown pass, against three interceptions.

Through two games of the 2014 preseason, Osweiler already has led the Broncos' second-team offense on four touchdown drives — two in each game. He has tossed two touchdown passes, including a well-thrown, 33-yard deep strike Sunday to rookie Cody Latimer.

"He had a good day," said Broncos general manager John Elway, whose selection of Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 draft has been his most second-guessed pick. "He's getting better and better. He's getting time. He's done a heck of a job of working it on the board, and then practice, and now he's fundamentally much more sound. Throwing the ball very well and confident. It's just a matter of getting him playing time."

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Manning led the Broncos to a 10-0 lead before leaving early in the second quarter. Osweiler helped stretch it to 24-0 before leaving midway through the third quarter. Zac Dysert played well with the third-team offense.

This preseason, though, is about getting Manning and the first-team offense sharp, and Osweiler ready in case he's called upon in an emergency. The Broncos may have been sunk had Manning not stayed healthy through the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Should Manning sprain an ankle and miss a couple weeks this season, the Broncos may well have a chance with Osweiler.

"I've always been impressed with Brock," said Broncos tight end Julius Thomas. "I think he does a really good job with leadership. Sometimes that second group is tough because you have a lot of younger guys, guys getting their first action, and he does a good job of leading them."

The next step for Osweiler in his development as a starting NFL quarterback would be to practice with the first team.

That step will have to wait some more. The perfectionist Manning rarely misses a rep. Osweiler leads the second-teamers by not treating them like second-teamers.

"I don't view myself as a backup, so I'm not going to view those guys as backups," Osweiler said. "In the moment when we're out there on the field, we're the only team playing. We're not second team. We're the team. I expect them to play great and they expect me to play great. And if we hold each other accountable to that, hopefully we can have a good preseason."

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